The King's Obsession ✔️

FORTY ONE

Word Count: 1350

~Akara

I stare down at my hands, numb.

I can think back to many times since the rebellion that I've wanted to see Vaia suffer. Her death was something I greatly anticipated, even if sometimes my reasonable mind would tell me she should be given another chance.

She killed me, or tried to, at least. I should be celebrating his death, and yet strangely, something about it doesn't feel right.

Walking into that room...seeing that she had been killed.

Tai must have talked one of the guards into doing it. It's not surprising, since most of them hated Vaia as much as we did. It's just disturbing to know that Tai still has reach around here to get whatever he wants.

"This isn't a bad thing," Zavian says from the opposite end of the table. He was surprised when we told him about Vaia, but it was obvious from his first reaction that he wasn't entirely bothered by it.

Marek wasn't either. In fact, I swear when he stood up from checking whether Vaia was alive or not, he smiled a bit.

His problems with Vaia ran deeper than I could ever truly know.

"It just doesn't feel right," I sigh, swirling my drink around my cup. I probably shouldn't be drinking alcohol like this, but for once, I just don't want to feel what everything with Vaia has dug up.

"It's done now. We should be grateful she is out of our lives," Nakoa says sourly, picking at her nails.

"Who cares about Vaia," Marek says. "What happened to you, Akara?"

"Essentially, I was brought to the Scarlet Province by that man, Grey," I tell him, hoping to ease some of his concerns. Clearly through all of this, all he has been able to concentrate on is why I disappeared. "He found Tai's mother."

Zavian's eyes widen. "Really?"

"And I spoke to her, and she is willing to help us dismantle Tai's reign," I tell them excitedly. She's the key to unlocking whatever is inside him that made him such a way. It's what we spent the last few days talking about, as we came up with a plan that I truly believe is going to work.

Nakoa takes a long drink. "Finally, some good news."

"We need to get her a platform to speak to as many people as we can," I tell them. They need to know she is alive, they need to hear what she has to say. I genuinely think many people will be happy to see her, and will be willing to listen.

"What is she going to say?" Marek asks.

"She is the rightful heir to the throne through her marriage to Kailor. They never divorced," I tell them. She chose to run away, but that doesn't mean he's right to the throne was ever affected. And if she takes over, Tai loses all his power.

Zavian frowns, considering it. "But she isn't blood related..."

"Doesn't matter. Marriage is what is most important, at least according to what happens in the Jade Province. Hence why I've been bound to Tai for so long, but once he's no longer King, I won't be bound," I tell him, unable to contain my excitement. I just want to be away from this all, and I can't wait.

"So if she comes into power, the weapon can't be used?" Zavian asks, his mind still on what is most important.

"We have to get the location of it out of Tai so we can destroy it," I tell him grimly. That will be the most difficult part, to get him to do the right thing. It's why his mother coming in is extremely important.